Automobile top



sept. 2z, 192s.

E. J. MADDEN AUTOMOBILE 'for Filed Dec. 4; 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 sqm 22, 1925.

E. J@ MADDEN AToMoBILE TOP Filed Dec. 4, 1922 4 sheets-sheet Sept. 22, 192.5.

1,554,449 E. J. MADDEN AUTOMOBILE TOP Filed Dec. 4, v1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWARD J. Mannen, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE TOP.

Application ledllecember 4, 1922. Serial No.l 604,685.

` To all whom t may Con-cem Be it known that I, EDWARD J. MADDEN,

a citiz-en of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the countyl of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and vImproved Automobile Top, of which the following is a specilication.y

This invention relates to the construction of transparent removable panels adapted to constitute the walls of vehicle body tops, particularly the tops of automobiles, and its object is to provide structures of this character which are readily. positioned and as readilyremoved, and to provide frames for such panels with resilient members whereby the panels willbe held securely in position and be prevented from rattling.

This invention consists in a window comprising a frame and glass mounted therein, the frame: having vpins projecting from its lower edge in the plane of the glass and adapted to extend into holes in the rail constituting the upper edge ofthe side of the vehicle body, and in resilient means mounted in the vehicle deck'for engaging the vupper edges of said window panels to retain` them in position. It also consists in a rigid frame-work for the deck of the vehicle top, and resilient engaging devices lto secure the upper edges ofl v window panels constituting yside walls of said top.

portions of the It further'consists in a novel frame structure to receivefthe glass.

q --It also consistsin the Ydetails of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawclaims.

portions. oftwo side members of adjacent panels. Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 13 aredetails of the side membersof the panels. Fig. 11

is a vertical section of the upper member of a panel frame. Fig. 14: is ay detail of a corner of a frame. Fig. 15 isa cross section ofv a retainer in the: deck of the top for 'the upper edge of a panel. Fig. 16 is a longi-v tudinal section thereoiif Fig, 17 isa detaill showing the means for securing a panel to the upperrail of the body. Fig. 18 is va perspective of one endv of a guide channel.

Fig. 19 is a horizontal section of one edge. of a windshield and the support therefor.;

Fig. 2O is an elevation of a panel corner.

Fig. 21 is a transverse section ofthe 'top rail of a door showing the lower edge of a panel securedpin position and overlapping each other.

Similar reference characters referto like parts throughout the several views.

and wall panel :trames for converting openbodies ,of vehicles into closed bodies, the

The presentoinvention involves glazeddoor wall panels being stationaryand Secured at b oth upper and lower edgesand the door panels being attached at their lower edges to the doors of the body.' `Fach panel is freely removable and the, appearance of the vehicle is not affected by unsightly additions i or projections. The generalconstruction of the frames of these vpanels is thejsame and comprises tubes'v and connectors therefor,l clamping plates to secure the sheets of glass in position, and themetalishells which conl.

nect to and enclose the clamping plat-es. A Fig. 1 shows a vehicle body A having doors 1 and 2 landa declIB. Y The` panels 5 and 6 extend up from the doors to the deck and are separated bythe stationary wallpanel 7. A rear wall panel?) extends fromythe door panel -6 to the curved back 4 of theV top. The framefor `the panel 7 consists of corners 8 having reduced ends extending in-4 to the tubes 12 andu13, and a central con-- nector 1112 also having reduced ends toreceivev the tubes 13, the corners 8 and central connector lll having upwardly extending' pins lOztoengage properdevices in the deck. The lower portion of the frame. consists-of two parallel barsfjoined lat intervals to ob-,v

tain great strength.- The ends of this lower` portion consist of the upright parallel members 15 and-16, and the horizontal parallel members 17 and 18. The members 15 have f reduced' ends extending kinto the tubes 12, the members 16 terminate 'in pins 19, while the horizontal. members have reduced ends thatextend intoetubes 20 which also receiver' thereducedends ,of-the horizontal portions'` and 36. The tubes 37 connect the corners to the central member consisting of the horizontal parts 38 and 39 and vertical part 40. There are no upwardly extending pins as shownV in Fig. 2, and the downwardly extending pins 41 are longer than in panel 7. In order to mount panes 42 of glass on these frames I provide clamping plates 43 (Figs. 11 and 12) ihavingcentral cylindrical portions 44 adapted to fit the frames, these plates being in pairs secured together by staples 45V which extendthrough the holes 46. The small struck-up tongues 47 engage the edgesof the panes of glass to position the glass. l/Vhere these plates 43 cover the inclined tube 27 of the panel 5, I prefer to insert a weather strip 48between the edges 49 opposite the glass, as shown in Fig. 19,

l in order that this strip `may extend into the groove 52 of the frame member 53 which the sash for thev windshield 55.

also supports the channel 54 constituting lWhere no such weather strip 48 is necessary, asalong f` the tops of the door panels, a spacing strip 56 may be inserted, as shown in Fig. 11. "At the vertical vlines where the stationary and movable panels come together, the packp ing strips 57 are ,preferably secured between i the clamping plates 43, as shown in Fig. 8, to

keep out rain and snow. After the plates 43 are secured to the frames, the resilient channel-shaped cover plates 58 are sprung into place, the resilient corner pieces 59 shown in Fig. 2O fitting over the endsV of these cover plates and holding themselves in position. rlhek coverV plates 58 and the corner pieces 59 may be covered with fabric or leather or enameled if desired. In Figs.y

f 7, 8 and 11 I have shown this coating on these cover plates by the double lines.

The clampingv plates 61 shown in Fig. 9 have twocylindrical portions 62 to engage the horizontal tubes 2O or 37 of the panels and alsorhave the holes 46 to receive staples 45. The cover plates63 are again resilient and their edges are snapped over these clamping plates as vshown in Fig. 7. The

i upper edges 64 of the doors are often called ""5 rails and are formed with holes to receive the thimbles 66, as shown in Fig.r21, into which the pins 41v extend and aresecurely held. The upper edge yof a. weather strip 65 isl secured between the clamping plates 61 and this strip extends down outside of the upper edge of the door. The pms 41 are Vsufficiently strong to hold .the panels 5 and 6 in alinement with the doors and the eXtra lonvitudinal members at the bottoms of tie frames of these panels give suiiicient strength to prevent the frame from bending, even Vwhen the doors 'are slammed. If desired, the

are preferably received in short thimbles 7 0;

mounted in the metal strip 71 let into the to-p edge of the body. The weather strips 65 and 73 are secured at their upper edges between the clamping plates 61 and Voverlap the body as indicated in Fig. 7. Extending along the sides of the deck are rigid members 7 5, preferably of wood, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16, and these members are grooved along their lower sides to receive the channels shown in Fig. 18 having bottoms 76 and sides 77. Pins 78 are mounted in each channel and carry the strips 79 adapted to receive the upper edges of the wall panels, being pressed against the panel by the springs 80. These strips are formed with slots 82 to receive the pins 10y along the upper edge of each wall panel. I prefer the lengths of the channels and the strips 79 to be'no greater than the lengths of the panels. Figs. 15 and16 show the paneljust as it engages the strip 79. The strip.' is pressed up some distance to compress the springs 80 before the pins 19 can enter the thimbles 7 0 and4 remain compressed even when the panel is inv position.

In Fig. 14 is shown a corner reinforcement for the frames consisting of a pair of elbows 84 provided with grooves to receivev the clamping plates 43 and holes 85 to receive.

bolts or rivets by means of which the two elbows may be secured together.4

The panels shown may be easily removed and replaced. The door panels vare merely lifted off. The wall panels are lifted up to free the pins 19 from the thimbles 70 andthe lower ends are then swung out and the panels lowered to release the pins 10 from thev pressure strips 79. These pressurev strips prevent the upper ends of the wall panels from rattling and also prevent the wall panels from getting out of place when the vehicle travels overroads sufficiently rough to twist the top.

The .top with the panels vin position is substantially Vweather-proof and has the appearance of a permanently closed structure but embodies the advantages of an open top for summer use. V

portions .of the parts may all be changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

v The details of construction and the pro.

I claim l. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body consisting of connected top, side and bottom members, pairs of supporting plates attached to and fitting eachy of the side members, a pane of glass held between the inner portions of said pairs of supporting plates, means to secure said plates to the panel frame, and weather strips secured between the outer edges of said plates and projecting therefrom.

2. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body consisting of connected top, side and parallel bottom members all in the same plane, said bottom members being tubular and spaced apart in said plane, and connecting members between the. parallel bottom members embodying downwardly extending pins whereby the panel may be attached to the vehicle body.

3. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body consisting of connected top, side and parallel bottom members all inthe same plane, connecting members between the parallel bottom members embodyingV downwardly extending pins whereby the panel 'may be attached to the vehicle body, pairs of clamping plates having cylindrical central portions adapted to fit the frame members, a pane of glass held between said pairs of clamping members, and means to secure the members of each pair together.

4. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body consisting of connected top, side and parallel bottom members all in the same plane, connecting members between the parallel bottom members embodying downwardly extending pins whereby the panel may be attached to the vehicle body, pairs of clamping plates Ahaving cylindrical central portions adapted to tit the frame members, a pane of glass held between said pairs of clamping members, means to secure the members of each pair together, and cover plates enclosing said clamping plates.

5. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body consisting of connected top, side and bottom members all in the same plane,

downwardly extending pins whereby the panel may be attached to the vehicle body, pairs of supporting plates having cylindrical central portions adapted to lit the frame members, a pane of glass held between said pairs of supporting members, means to secure the members of each pair together, and a weather strip mounted between the outer edges of a pair ofsupporting plates along one edge of said frame.

6. A frame for a side panel for a closed vehicle body comprising gparallel upright,

:trame members, pairs of clamping plates having cylindrical central portions adapted to tit the frame members, a pane of glass vbetween said pairs of clamping members, means tosecure the members of each pair together, and cover `plates enclosing said clamping plates. f

7. In combination, a vehicle body having vertical holes along its upper edge,'a top comprising a back and a deck having rigid longitudinal members along its side-s, a vertical wall panel resting on the body and having pins at its lower edge extending into the holes in said body and having upwardly extending pins valong its upper edge, an engaging strip along one of the rigid members of the decl; having holes to receive the upper pins of the panel, ,springs to press said strip against the panel, channelsmo-unted in the rigid side member of the top adapted to receive and guide said strip, and pins mounted in said channel to guide the springs.

8. A frame for a side panel for a Yclosed vehicle body consisting of connected top and parallel side members all in the same plane, a pair of clamping plates having cylindrical central portions adapted to fit one of said :trame members, a pane of glass between said pair of clamping members, means to secure the members of said pair` together, cover plates enclosing said clamping plates, and a flexible packing strip held between said pair of clamping plates and extending in the opposite direction from said pane of glass.

EDWARD J. MADDEN. 

